Musings From The Pastor - Our Saviour's Lutheran Church

Our Saviour’s Lutheran ChurchDecember 2020NetworkPage 1Musings from the PastorThis year we begin Advent with two (yes, TWO) baptisms. We celebratewith the Schleif and Osness-Francour families as their little ones receive God’spromise of new life in Christ. These are the fifth and sixth baptisms I’ve donethis fall. Two were outside at family homes, one outside at church, and theother three a brief service in the sanctuary with about 10 family memberspresent. Sunday School continues. Confirmation class continues. Committeesand Council continues to meet and plan. Even though we are not able to “do”church the way we’ve always done it, God is stretching us beyond tradition andusing us to BE the church in different and meaningful ways.Our Saviour’sLutheran Church300 Logan StreetMerrill, WI rend Patricia SchutzOffice Secretary:Carla WeisenfeldCustodian:Tim RuprechtNetwork articles are due onor before the 15th of eachmonthWe are not going to gather for activities and worship inside the churchbuilding this Advent and Christmas. Church Council has decided the health riskis too great. This is a great disappointment, but also an opportunity to becreative in ways we would not have been otherwise. Instead of focusing onwhat we can’t do this Christmas, may we be open to the presence and mysteryof the Holy One who dwells among us. May we be open to change and filledwith gratitude for what, by the grace of God, we are able to offer and receive.May we acknowledge the reality of loss and the reality of hope, and celebratewhat God has done and is doing for us through the birth, life, death andresurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. God’s “tradition” is one of astonishinggrace and love. That truth will never change.This Holy Season may God overshadow us, transform our hearts,unlock our minds, move our feet, open our hands and lips, that we may showand tell and shout with joy the good news for all people that is true no matterwhat else is going on: Emmanuel has come to you!Let us pray: “Living God, visit us in this season with your Holy Spirit thatwe may get carried away to do obedient things we have not yet done, kingdomthings we did not think we had in us, neighbor things from which we cringe. Mayyou act in us, through us, beyond us, more than we imagine, because newnessis on its way among us. Amen.”(Walter Brueggeman, in Celebrating Abundance.)Advent blessings! Merry Christmas! Shalom!Pastor PatFinancial Report 2020Month of October 2020INCOME 18,843.13Scrip Use TRANSFEREXPENSES 16,880.78NET 1,962.35TOTAL Jan – October 2020INCOME 233,208.02Scrip Use 1,535.48TRANSFERSEXPENSES 166,474.56NET 68,268.94

Dec e mb er 2 0 20Ne tw orkP ag e 2Worship UpdateWelcome, Little Ones!Not quite yet Covid 19 continues to surgeacross Wisconsin, including in Lincoln County.Church council continues to uphold theirdecision for us to regather for worship once ourcounty has been designated as a “medium”burden county for four consecutive weeks.Currently we are at “very high.” We can controlthe spread of the virus by our behavior. Please,for your own health and that of our community,wear a mask, wash your hands often, andmake wise decisions about where you go, whoyou are with, and encourage others to do thesame.In November we welcomed several childreninto the church through the Sacrament of HolyBaptismWesley Todd Annis - born 10/10/2018son of Eric and Chelsea AnnisCharlie Margaret Linnell – born 2/26/2019daughter of Casey and Erica LinnellLeo Osness Francour – born 2/28/2020son of Steven Francour and LoniOsness FrancourOur worship service is posted every Sunday, 9a.m. on Facebook and a bit later in the morningon our website. If you would like to participateby recording a reading, the Creed, or theprayers, please contact Pr. Pat. If you don’thave any way to record yourself you can stopbriefly at church and we’ll use the churchlaptop.If you would like a CD/DVD of the worshipservice, please call the office.Christmas WorshipChristmas Eve worship will be livestreamed onour Facebook page at 4:00 p.m. and ChristmasDay at 9:00 a.m. Each service will be availableto view on our website a short time later.Depending on weather we may be able to havea brief outside gathering at the church onChristmas Eve, later in the evening. A midDecember newsletter will be sent out with moreinformation.Advent Daily ReflectionsAs a way to provide worship in the home,especially for those of you who do not haveaccess to our online services, Pastor Pat iswriting daily devotionals for the season ofAdvent, November 29 through Christmas Day.The first installment is included in thisnewsletter on the blue sheets. The rest of thedevotions will be sent out in mid-Decembernewsletter.Sympathy in time of SorrowOur sympathy and love are extended to thefamilies of members who died in November:Marion Anderson, Gerrit “Chub” Van DerGeest, and Arlette Gruetzmacher, and alsoHelen Nelson (non-member; Ruth NelsonLau’s sister), Please keep these families inyour prayers.Live at 7:05 Advent WednesdaysDuring Advent, Facebook Live on Wednesdayswill take place at 7:05 p.m. for Evening Prayer.There is an outline of the service on the churchFacebook page. Each week's recording will beavailable on CD. Just call the office if youwould like a copy. There will be no Live at 12Noon during December.Office HoursNormal Church office hours areMonday – Wednesday - Friday, 9:00-4:00.Scrip is available during these times.If there is no answer please leave a messageand we will get back to you. Thank you.WinnersA big thank you to those who returned thecoloring sheet and word search.

Dec e mb er 2 0 20Ne tw orkP ag e 3Bell RingingNeeded at the Food PantryEach year, the Merrill Salvation Army holds itsannual Red Kettle Campaign. It began onNovember 16th and ring thru December 24th.Community volunteers give of their time to standoutside County Market and Walmart to acceptdonations. The goal is to raise 40,000 this year ofevery 1.00 collected, 0.86 stays right here inMerrill. These funds are used to provide emergencyassistance to Merrill area residents, including rent,utilities, and transportation issues. They are notproviding long-term help; they are providingemergency assistance to individuals, families andthe elderly who are in crisis situations. If you canhelp to ring, please go to the ault.aspx and register individually or you can create agroup sign up. It is very quick and easy and willeven send a reminder text to your cell phone if thatoption is chosen.If you have question call Yvette Chieves, the 2020Kettle Coordinator at 715-218-9043.During the Month of November Outreach gave thechallenge is to fill the totes with the items needed.Items needed and rarely donated:TOILET PAPERSOAPDEODORANTSHAMPOOThe Outreach Team would like to continue thechallenge, so let’s see what we, as a congregation,can provide. Drop them off at church Monday,Wednesday or Friday from 9-4. How many totescan we fill?Thank You’s for NovemberDear Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church,Thank you for your donation of 32.21 to HommeHomes on November 19, 2020.We appreciate this generous gift for our residentsand your thoughtfulness is truly appreciated. Thankyou again for your contribution to Homme Homes.Sincerely,Kathy UnverzagtFoundation CoordinatorOur Saviour’s Lutheran Church,I am so grateful for the donation of 96.94 in ourMatching Funds Campaign. Covid-19 continues tichange the way we live causing much hardship forour neighbors in need. Our Conference continuesto deal with the homeless, those facing evictions,power and water shutoffs and a myriad of otherneeds. We extend not only financial help but ourprayers and friendship to the poor that we serve.God Bless,Dick DuginskiConference PresidentSociety of St. Vincent de PaulDear Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church,The Community Food Pantry of Merrill thanks yourChurch and its members for their recent donation of 70.00. The Food Pantry functions on monetarydonations, grants, and food donations. Thesedonations allow us to meet the nutritional needs ofthose less fortunate in the Merrill Community.Thank you for your generous gift to the CommunityFood Pantry of Merrill; it is vital and greatlyappreciated!May God bless you always.Sincerely,Richard JohnsonThe Community Food Pantry of Merrill,Our Staff and Volunteers and Especially from thosewe Serve

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Dec 2020 – BirthdayRuth SchumacherDec 13Matt PetersonDec 24Bill DingesDec 14Janice VerhulstDec 24Dec 1Michael PagelDec 14Christy LemerandeDec 25Mark LatzigDec 1John AnnisDec 15Magan ObergDec 26Brenda MuellerDec 1Heather DehneDec 15Sally McMenaminDec 27Stephanie SpoehrDec 1Ed DingesDec 15Carol PesterDec 27Michael LambrechtDec 2Presten FerrinDec 16Chad RichardsonDec 27Eric SoderlundDec 2Iona FleischmanDec 16Angela SevertDec 27Isaac BuntrockDec 3Matt LeskeyDec 16Andy StimersDec 28Deb BurtonDec 3Mike StrandDec 16Patrick WeixDec 28Dylan MillerDec 3Elizabeth AlbertDec 17Kensey PrenticeDec 29Kylie RussellDec 3Adam HinzDec 17Sandy HullDec 30Katlyn WilliamsDec 4Jerry HullDec 17Char JerzakDec 30Robert WilliamsDec 4Kailyn JannuschDec 17Katie LoskotDec 30Jeremy HietalaDec 5Linda MurrayDec 17Robin OpsahlDec 30Michelle StanglDec 5Scott SchreiberDec 17Randall HillDec 31Brian TeskeDec 6Zoe SlewitzkeDec 17Chuck ReinkeDec 31Susan JaegerDec 7Paul WegenerDec 17Griffin SorensenDec 31Greg ThorsonDec 7Samantha KautzDec 18Stephen BlakeDec 8Shannon O'MalleyDec 18Sabrina EggersgluessDec 9Emma DaleyDec 19Dennis and Dolores BlakeDec 2Carol FrederickDec 9Bonnie OsnessDec 19Ron and Laura WardDec 4Bruce SchleifDec 9Kenneth WoellnerDec 19Russell and Sandra TeskeDec 6Dec 9Larry JohnsonDec 20Tim and Nina LeeDec 7Lacy LangbeckerDec 10Danica LipkeDec 20Tom and Beverly MichalskiDec 7Meghan TruckeyDec 10Harriet TorkelsonDec 20Jennifer and Kim BlumDec 8Jerry WickDec 10Carol KienbaumDec 21Dec 9Marion HillDec 11Joy AnnisDec 22Dec 11Dec 23Dec 11Tim LeeTraci GrenwaltJay and Joan PetersonShelly and Ricky AllenStormDec 23Dec 13Dec 11Kelly HalbachDave and Lisa GervaisMatteo TugnoliDec 23Dec 20Dec 12Marc OllmannEd and Cheryl DohmMakyla PrenticeDec 23Dec 26Dec 12Steven ReedJoe and Michelle BrownBetty ReinkeDec 13Dec 23Dec 27Avery PattonZane WestbergDavid and Patricia McNuttDec 23Dec 28Dec 13Christopher WilliamsScott and Mary ButtkeNorman PurmalDan BowenDec 24John and Lorann EricksonDec 29Breanna IneichenCiara SteffenhagenDec 2020 – AnniversaryThis list contains all members of Our Saviour’sthat we have Birthday and Anniversaryinformation.If the names or dates are incorrect, or if weare missing information about someone’sspecial day, please let Carla in the office knowand we will update our records.

Our Saviour s Lutheran ChurchDecember 2020SundayMondayTuesdayWednesday126:00p Worship & Music6:00p Confirmation 6-8Grade - ZoomThursday34789109:00a Worship Online9:00a AA Meeting10:45a First PresbyterianWorship1:00p Miriam Circle6:00p Property &Maintenance1:00p M & M Group6:00p Finance7:00a Lutheran Men inMission6:00p Confirmation 6-8Grade - Zoom1:00p Ruth Circle6:30p Christian Ed13141516179:00a Worship Online9:00a AA Meeting10:45a First PresbyterianWorship10:15a Esther Circle6:00p Council6:30p First PresbyterianCouncil6:00p Confirmation 6-8Grade - Zoom20212223249:00a Worship Online9:00a AA Meeting10:45a First PresbyterianWorship6:15p Outreach7:00a Lutheran Men inMission4:00p Christmas EveWorship - Online2728303129Saturday59:00a AA Meeting69:00a Worship OnlineFriday11129:00a AA Meeting18199:00a AA MeetingChristmas Eve25Christmas Day9:00a Christmas DayWorship - Online269:00a AA Meeting